Baby, You're a Richman

Rather than spend another night at the standard Broward or Palm Beach watering holes, why not take a trip down to Miami this Sunday to get in touch with your inner rock 'n' roll child? With long-time drummer Tommy Larkins in tow, Jonathan Richman brings his naive schtick to South Florida. Although he cut his teeth in aggressive style in the early 1970s when he formed the Modern Lovers, a band that included Talking Heads' future keyboardist and the Cars' future drummer, Richman abandoned his pioneering proto-punk style after going solo. And although he's known for covering kiddie tunes such as "Wheels on the Bus," his innocent, crooning voice becomes hilarious when it delves into not-so-innocent subjects, as on "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" and "Vampire Girl." With a just-released best-of compilation, Action Packed: The Best of Jonathan Richman, summing up his work for the Rounder record label (which includes more or less everything worthwhile he did in his solo career), rock's Peter Pan never seems to grow up.

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